Bumper.



H. T. HAZARD.

BUMPER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT26, 1916.

INVEN TOR.- Hewnv. THZRQ.

Pat-ented July 9, 1918.

UNITED sTATEs AT HENRY T. HAZARD, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

BUMPER'.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1918.

' Application led September 26, 1916. Serial No. 122,207.

To all whom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY T. HAZARD, a citizen of the United States,lresiding at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bumpers, of which the following is a specication. v

This invention vrelates t0 a bumper and particularly pertains .to bumpers used in conjunction with link suspended semi-elliptic vehicle springs.

In the design and construction of auto vehicles it is common practice to interpose semi-elliptic springs between the vehicle body and axles, -which springs are rigidly ymounted to the body at. their centers and have their outer ends. carried by dependent links mounted to swing 'from brackets on the axles; the links serving to permit free elongationofthe springsl on depression thereof. This link projection'has proven objectionable, lparticularly where employed on automobiles, where the springs extend transvers'ely of the vehicle body and where a steering arm, on a steering shaft, lcarried bythe vehiclel body, 1 is connected to the 'l steering'knuckle of Ithe front wheels; the

objectiongbeing that when the vehicle is traveling at high speed, traversing rough or laterally inclinedsurfaces, ormaking turns, a transverse swaying or rocking movement of the .vehicle body is effected, which movement actsY through` the connections. of the steeringV mechanism ,above referred to, leading from .the vehicle` bodyfto 'the 'front rwheels, and willc'ause the wheels to wabble from side tol side. .This interferes with the vproper steering of the vehicle and renders the steeringdefective, sometimes causes the loss 'ofcontrol of the movements 'of the vehicle, oftenresnlting in disaster, and in any event, necessitates yconsiderable reduction of speed'inorder tolav'oid accident.v Y y p .It is theJ `object of'this invention` to provide a bumper which will yieldably permit elongation of linksuspended springs, and. at

the `sarne time prevent the objectionable and dangerous swaying' movement;V of, theV vehicle body; dueto Iexcessive oscillation of the links', by taking up 'lost motion of the latter.

Affurther object is Lto providek a bumper of the above y'ch:'iraeterf"which is soy con- Smead, there eey-'te' readily planean@ securely held in position by being so shaped as to conform to the surfaces between which 1t 1s interposed.

In. carrying out the present invention, I provide a resilient body formed of rubber or sultable composition, adapted to be interposed between the dependent links, the bracket 0n which they are carried, the axle,

' and the rounded return end of the springs,

Fig. 4 is a detail illustrating the forward Vbumper in side elevation and indicating the manner of mounting same.

Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating the many' ner in which the front wheels of an automo- `bileA are caused to wabble by lateral swingv lng movement of the body.

ig. 6 is a view ofthe forward bumper'in front elevation.

Flg. 7 is a view illustrating the application of the bumper to the rear axle and springs of4 an automobile.

Fig. 8 is a detailof the rear bumper showing the rearbumper in side elevation and illustrating the manner of mounting same. Fig. 9 is a view of the rear-bumper in'end elevation. y.

In equipping an automobile with bumpers of the typeconstituting the present in- ;vention, it is necessary to provide two styles of a' bumper in order. to adapt it to the' vslightly different forms of connection between the ends of the front and rear, springs and their respective axles; fthe bumpers, however, only;Y differing from each other in miwardbumperv shown in-Fig, 11 comprises a body portion' 10, having parallel sides and a substantially straight-lower face, the latter '..face beine meer@ treneversely of the' body y '100 nor details, but corresponding in their generalshapeand essential features. The forflanges 12 on oppositeY sides ofthe body which serve to inhibit sidewise shifting of the bumper when seated and held in placeK on theaxle. The rear face of the body memlober y' is formed with a transversely ex? tending concave face 13 to conform to a correspondingly curved face on a boss 14, formed on the axle, and on which an inwardly curved bracket 15 is carried. rEhe 15 upper end of the bracket 15 is disposed between a pair of dependent links '16k which are pivoted to thebracket and have the lower ends' pivotally securedto the round terminals of the front spring 17, as shown in Fig. 2o 3,; the links 16 being normally positioned at an inclination to the bracket 15, as shown in Figi el.

The front face of the body member 10 is formed with a transverse arcuate channel 18 adapted to, receive the rounded ter- Y minal` of the spring.; the forward face of the bumper body 10 being thus formed with a pair of forked members 19 and 20, with the member 19- adapted 'to be. interposed between the rounded terminal and the axle, and the member 20 adapted to extend over the rounded terminal and between the links 16. The upper face of the body member lOis designed to bear against the under side of the cylindrical lug 21 formed on the upper end of the bracket 15, and this face. is preferably formedV with a transversely .extending depression 22 to receive thel rounded Y lower portion of the lug 21. The portion of the body member extending between the depression 22 and the transverse concave face 13 is dished. to'receivetheunder side of the bracket 15 and to form a pair of ears 23, which are adapted to project'on the opposite sides of the bracket 15,'and` coperate with the flanges 12 in holdingV the bumper Y,against lateral displacement; the links v16 in extending on opposite sides of themember 20, further serving to,Y hold the bumper `against sidewise. movement. As a further means of holding the bumper in place and particularly for preventing dislodgnient of the bumper inv the eventthe links v16, are i moved upwardly sufliciently farnto permit -the bumper. being displaced, a AUfshaped springY wire 24. having. in-turned ends y25j is provided; theV wire. being adapted to be placed.. stride of the bracket 15 andfdisposed withits endsembeddedY in the-sides of the bumper, as particularly shownfinfFig. 6. lhewire gels se tensionedthatitsendswill pierce; and securelyvv vrengage the bumperbut may be` Spread apart- 'alld disengaged from latter 1 theblimperfwhent iS desired toremovthe were en' derreesieniefftlie spring;

The rear bumper shown in Fig. 2 corresponds in form to that previously described in,4 reference to the forward bumper shown in Fig. 1', with exception that the lower face of the bumper is curved longitudinally to conform to', the Vusual flare formed on the rear axle at the base of the link supporting bracket. The body portion of the rear bumper is thus formed with the saddle 11,' flanges 12, concave face 13, transversechannel 1,8, fork members 19 and 20, depression 22, ears 23, and the bail 24, substantially the same as the corresponding parts of the forward: bumper. f

In the application ofthe invent-ion, av foi'- 50 ward bumper is disposed ateach end of the front spring 17, ande a rear bumper is dis-e posed at each end ofa rearspring 25..; the' bumpers being interposedv in. the space between the axles,A brackets, depending links,

andl rounded terminals of the springs, as

Aparticularly shcwnv in Figs. 4c and-8.

The bumpers are of sufficient rigidity to act when disposed at each end, of the springs to prevent f ree swingin 4movementof the 90 links, thereby limiting t e lateral swinging movement of the vehicle body in relation, tof Y the axles,l and as a consequence, Qbiating the wabbling ofthe front wheels, ordinarily occasioned by swaying- Vmovement of the 9.5.. body. TheV bumpers, however,- -are of sufficient resiliency to permit their-being.v com- Y. pressed; on depression of thesprings to allow elongation of the latter, andnot inter- Y fere with. their shock-absorbing; function.

The manner in' whichQ the Vside swaying of the body acts to wabble. the. steeringf; wheels-is illustrated in. Fig.; 5, in which, A indicatesY the.fr.ontf axle, B, the steering knuckles thereon, @the frontwheels, Dthe frame, E thel front Ysprings, F the steering column, and G the.y drag link coimecting the` f column and steering. knuckles. The. sidewise `movement ofathe frame. inrelation to the Vaxle exerts' either a thrustor a pull onrthe 110 drag link, which .operates to., rock theY Steering knuckles, .thus setting. upl a,y wabblingy movement ofthe frontv wheels, Thesemove- Lmenbs are indicated by therdottedxlinesin Y Fig. 5.. As this sidewiser movement of the '115 ,fr-.ame and the. body thereon is due to vthe Y suspension of the spring -on the depending A links, it .folldwsthatby lfestricting` .the movementofthe linkstoonly such: distance.asY is vnecessary to,..allowv theA spr-ings` .to elongate and resisting.V movementof the/links sc that they willnot' swing. freely, the siderswayng. will` be. prevented. ',lhvis'v I; accomplish' by disposing ia resilient body back of .the-I links at each. end .of VtheSpring, which this ease 12 5 .moreiparticularly consists of a-.block of rnbber .ofV such resisting lcharactergas .teprevent .f

metier @reef-,ret allow sainetemoaabaek- These bumpers serve to stabilize the vehicle body without destroying the cushioning actionl of its springs, and render it less hazardous to drive the vehicle around turns, over rough or laterally sloping surfaces, and at the same time enhance the riding qualities of the vehicle.

llVhat I claim is:

1. The combination with a spring suspended at its ends on swinging links, of a yieldable body disposedat the ends of the springs and rearwardly of the links to oppose and restrict their swinging movement.

2. The combination with a spring suspended at its ends on ,swinging links of a resilient block disposed at the ends of the springs and at a place to yieldably oppose and restrict the swinging movement of the links and take up lost motion thereof.

3. The combination with a spring, an axle, a pair of brackets on the latter, and links depending from said brackets, on which the terminals of the spring are supported, of a resilient block seated on the axle and interposed between the links and brackets to yielldably oppose rearward movement of the lin s.

4. A bumper adapted to be disposed between the axle, bracket, links, and spring terminal of a vehicle comprising a resilient body, seated on the axle and having a transverse arcuate channel to receive the spring terminal.

5. A bumper adapted to be disposed between the axle, bracket, links, and spring terminal of a vehicle, comprising a resilient body, seated on the axle and having a transverse arcuate channel to receive the spring terminal, and formed with ears adapted to extend on opposite sides of the bracket.

6. A bumper adapted to be disposed be* tween the axle, bracket, links, and spring terminal of a vehicle, comprising a resilient body, seated on the axle and having a trans* verse arcuate channel to receive the spring terminal, and a spring clamp adapted to extend over the bracket into engagement with the resilient body.

7 The combination with a spring, an axle, a pair of brackets on the latter, and links depending from said brackets, from which the terminals of the spring are suspended, of a resilient block, seated on the axle, and interposed between the links and brackets to yieldably oppose rearward movement of the links, and a spring clamp adapted to extend over the bracket into detachable engagement with the block.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specication.

HENRY T. HAZARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressngrthe Commissioner of atents, Washington, D. C. 

